How to advocate for yourself during birth is crucial for ensuring that your preferences and needs are respected, which can contribute to a more positive birth experience.
Birth is a highly personal experience, and advocating for your preferences ensures that your unique needs and wishes are taken into account. When your choices are respected, you’re more likely to feel empowered and satisfied with your birth experience, which can positively impact your postpartum mental health.
By clearly communicating your wishes and expectations, you foster better understanding and cooperation with your healthcare team. And, building trust between you and your healthcare providers, leading to a more collaborative and supportive environment, while being an advocate for yourself means being informed about your options and the potential risks and benefits of different interventions, leading to safer choices.
Here, we spoke to Emiliana Hall, founder of The Mindful Birth Group®, and Mari-Carmen Sanchez-Morris, an ex-paediatric nurse turned pre and postnatal health expert and founder of FIT MAMA.
What are the basic maternity rights in the UK?
In the UK, mums have several rights to ensure their dignity and autonomy is maintained throughout pregnancy and birth. These maternity rights are designed to support you through your pregnancy and beyond. Here are the key points you should know:
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Antenatal care: You have the right to paid time off for antenatal appointments, which include medical appointments, antenatal classes.
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Respectful antenatal care: Your healthcare provider should listen to your wishes and inform you of the benefits and risks without bias. "Once you make your informed decision, they should respect your wishes and support you," says Emiliana, "If you are still not sure about the benefits and risks, you can seek more information via the PregnaHub."
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Maternity leave and pay: If you're an employee, you have the right to up to 52 weeks of maternity leave. Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is available for up to 39 weeks, provided you've been with your employer for at least 26 weeks by the 15th week before your due date.
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Health and safety: Your employer must ensure your working conditions are safe during your pregnancy. This includes making reasonable adjustments if your job involves risks to you or your baby.
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Protection from discrimination: It's illegal for your employer to treat you unfairly or dismiss you because of your pregnancy, childbirth, or maternity leave.
Mari-Carmen Sanchez-Morris, founder of FIT MAMA adds, "Everyone is entitled with up to 52 weeks maternity leave if you’re having a baby. By law, you must take at least 2 weeks off after your baby is born. After this period, it is your choice how much time you have off. I think the maternity rights in relation to pay as a self-employed business owner is unsatisfactory. I received statuary maternity pay with my third son, 9 months at £172.38 per week – this wasn’t enough to pay my share of mortgage and bills. It gives no incentive for women to start their own business."
How can you navigate the period leading to your birth?
"Preparing for birth involves both practical and emotional steps," says Emiliana, "My tips to help you navigate this period would be:
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Stay informed: Attend antenatal classes, read reputable resources, and consider joining the PregnaHub for comprehensive support and expert-led content.
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Research your birth preferences, and non-preferences: Consider what your birth preferences are discuss them with your midwife, doula or antenatal class. This can include your desired birthing environment, birth team, comfort measures/pain relief options, and any specific needs or concerns you might have. Antenatal classes are designed to inform you about all types of birth so you are prepared for anything on the day, your midwife can also talk through and provide you with more information on all the birth options available to you.
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Look after yourself: Engage in regular gentle exercise, eat a balanced diet, and practise relaxation techniques such as pregnancy yoga and hypnobirthing to keep stress levels low."
"Preparation is key," adds Mari-Carmen. "I spent lots of time beforehand preparing meals to store in the freezer. This was so helpful when I was tired and trying to navigate those first few weeks with a newborn. It’s easy to neglect things like cooking a fresh, healthy meal when you’re busy caring for a newborn, but it’s important to not let this slip; eating nutritious meals will fuel your body and mind and give you more energy to be able to care for your baby.
"Continue to lead a healthy lifestyle, hydrate well, get as much sleep as you can, and move as much as feels comfortable. If you are able to, take some time off work before your baby arrives; try to relax and give yourself some self-care."
What are your basic rights when it comes to giving birth?
Mari-Carmen says, "Women have the right to choose where they give birth, whether that be in the hospital or at home. However, this is dependent on the risk level of the birth – if you are classed as high risk, your midwife will recommend you to have your baby in hospital. Due to my background in nursing, I understood many of the policies ahead of time, but informed consent should be something every mother is given no matter the situation.
"You also have the right to make your own decisions when it comes to your care, and you can refuse any interventions at any time – your health professional is responsible for giving you all the necessary information such as the risks and benefits so you can make an informed decision."
Your human rights are fundamental during childbirth. These include:
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Right to informed consent: You have the right to be fully informed about any procedures and to give or withhold consent.
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Right to respect and dignity: You should be treated with respect and dignity throughout your birthing experience, ensuring that your wishes and needs are acknowledged.
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Right to support: You are entitled to have a birth partner with you during labour and birth, providing emotional and physical support, Emiliana Hall says.
Birth Rights are an excellent resource to refer to for all areas of birth rights during pregnancy, birth and postnatal recovery.
How can your birthing partner advocate for you during birth?
A birthing partner plays a crucial part in advocating for the birthing person during labour and delivery.
During preparation, the birthing partner can attend antenatal classes so they are informed to make decisions on behalf of the mother. They can also help to create the birth plan. Over the pregnancy, it’s important for the birthing partner to develop knowledge around the process of labour and delivery so they are informed and can help support you.
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Know your birth preferences: Ensure your birthing partner is familiar with your birth plan and preferences so they can communicate these to the care team.
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Speak up: Your partner should feel empowered to ask questions, seek clarity, and ensure that your wishes are respected, especially if you are unable to do so yourself.
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Provide emotional support: Continuous emotional and physical support from your birthing partner can make a significant difference in your comfort and confidence during labour.
"If you feel that your birthing partner is unable to do this, consider taking a second birth partner with you such as a trusted friend, family member or doula," says Emiliana.
"From my own experience," adds Mari-Carmen, "I wouldn’t make a strict birth plan. You never know what is going to happen on the day, so I would just have a rough idea of the things you definitely want vs the things you definitely do not want.
"During labour, it’s important to ensure communication with healthcare providers. They can be your voice, informing them of the birth plans and things you do/do not want. If procedures or interventions are recommended, the birthing partner can ask questions on behalf of the birthing person.
"Offering emotional support, providing words of encouragement and comfort can be helpful, as well as assisting with comforting measures such as pressing the TENS machine, keeping the birthing person cool with a cold flannel and offering drinks of water.”
What to do if you feel you've been mistreated or been a victim of negligence during birth?
If you feel mistreated or experience negligence during your birth, it’s crucial to know your options:
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Speak to a supervisor: Raise your concerns with the supervisor of midwives or the head of the midwifery at your maternity unit as soon as possible.
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File a complaint: You can file a formal complaint with the hospital or healthcare provider. Each NHS Trust has a Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) to assist you. Here, you can report an incident and ask for support.
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Seek legal advice: If you believe you've suffered harm due to negligence, seeking legal advice from a solicitor specialising in medical negligence can help you understand your rights and options.
How to access support after giving birth
Post-birth support is essential for your well-being and recovery. Following the birth, your midwife will come and visit for you to 10 days. The visits are likely to be at home and the midwife will be in charge of ensuring you and baby are recovery well. If you have any concerns, this is when you should raise them. After this, you will be discharged to the health visiting service.
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Health visitor: The health visitor will come and support you and your baby, where they provide advice and support around child development, immunisations and parenting.
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Postnatal care: Make use of postnatal appointments to discuss any concerns you have about your recovery and your baby’s health. Around 6 weeks postnatal, you will have a check-up with your GP. "While they give you an opportunity to discuss any concerns you may have, the physical examinations aren’t enough. I would ask the GP specifically for an examination of c-section scar, any stitches and Diastasis recti," says Mari-Carmen.
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Postnatal doulas: A doula can provide practical support with your baby and around the home, as well as emotional support to help you to process the birth and stepping into this new chapter of your life.
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Support groups: Joining support groups, either in-person or online, can provide emotional support and practical advice from other new parents.
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Mental health support: If you’re struggling with your mental health, don’t hesitate to seek help from your GP or a mental health professional. "PregnaHub® also offers resources and expert advice to support your mental well-being," says Emiliana.
If you are experiencing symptoms of postnatal depression or anxiety, it’s important to speak to your GP or health visitor. They can then refer you to counselling and other mental health services to help you navigate this time. Organisations like the National Childbirth Trust (NCT), PANDAS Foundation, and Mind offer resources and support groups.
There is also support when it comes to breastfeeding. Your midwife and health visitor can offer practical advice and support breastfeeding, as well as joining breastfeeding support groups. These can be both online and in person and are a great way to get peer support and advice. Organisations like La Leche League, NCT, and the Breastfeeding Network provide resources and support, continues Mari-Carmen Sanchez-Morris.
Many local community centres and organisations offer classes and workshops for new parents. They have support groups where you can meet other parents, share experiences, and get advice. The NCT (National Childbirth Trust) and other parenting charities often run these groups. Local children’s centres offer a range of services, including parenting support, playgroups, and health services. You will find your nearest centre through your local council’s website.
Emiliana Hall is the founder of The Mindful Birth Group® which provides award-winning Mindful Natal®courses and the PregnaHub® online platform, as well as an accredited Teacher Training program and Midwife CPD courses. She is also an experienced Birth and Postnatal Doula. Emiliana's vision is to make vital antenatal and postnatal education and ongoing support accessible to everyone in the UK.
Having built FIT MAMA – the all-star app for mums on their journey through motherhood, wellness and health – Mari-Carmen is an advocate for Mari-Carmen had always had a passionfor health and wellness - having worked as a nurse in a Paediatric Intensive Care unit for 5 years before having her first son – but it was her own maternity experiences in 2017 and theinconsistency of information around health and fitness that drove her to qualify as a personal trainer, specifically in pre and postnatal fitness. Taking on this task with a four-month-old baby isno easy feat but within no time Mari- Carmen was training people from her garage! combining her nursing experience and her training in pre and postnatal fitness and nutrition, Mari-Carmen built a business supporting women across Warwickshire on their journeys through motherhood.
Mummy to a little girl, Adejumoke Ilori is Commercial Content Writer for Mother&Baby. With a BA hon in Creative Writing, she has worked for digital platforms, where she has empowered women from the inside and out, by sharing real life stories based on relationships and loving yourself.